STRUCTURE OF THE ELEPHANT. 733 



African Elephant the head is much shorter, the forehead convex, and the ears of 

 enormous magnitude, nearly meeting on the back of the head, and hanging with their 

 tips below the neck. 



The molar teeth also afford excellent indications of the country to which their 

 owner has belonged, for the enamel upon the surface of the teeth of the Asiatic 

 Elephant is moulded into a number of narrow bands, like folded ribbons, while that 

 of the African 'species is formed into five or six diamond or lozenge shaped folds. 

 Indeed, each molar tooth seems to be composed of a number of flat, broad teeth, 

 which are fastened closely together, stf as to form a single large mass. Only a portion 

 of each tooth is externally visible, the remainder being hidden in the jaw, and moving 

 forward as the exposed portion is worn away. When the whole tooth is thus worn 

 out, it falls from the jaw, and its place is taken by another which has been forming 

 behind it. In this manner the Elephant sheds its molar teeth six or seven times 

 in the course of its life. The tusks, however, are permanent, and are retained during 

 the whole of the animal's existence. There are a pair of small " milk-tusks " when 

 the Elephant is in its childhood, but these are soon shed and replaced by the true 

 tusks. In the Indian Elephant only the males are furnished with tusks, and not every 

 individual of that sex, whereas in the African species both sexes are supplied with 

 these valuable appendages, those of the male being much larger and heavier than 

 those of his mate. 



The Elephant, whether Asiatic or African, always lives in herds, varying greatly in 

 numbers, and being always found in the deepest forests, or in their near vicinity. Both 

 species are fond of water, and are never found at any great distance from some stream 

 or fountain, although they can and do make tolerably long journeys for the purpose of 

 obtaining the needful supply of liquid. They have a curious capability of laying up a 

 store of water in their interior, somewhat after the fashion of the camel, but possess 

 the strange accomplishment of drawing the liquid supply from their stomachs by means 

 of their trunks, and scattering it in a shower over their backs in order to cool their 

 heated bodies. When drinking, the Elephant inserts the tip of his trunk into the 

 stream, fills its cavities with water, and then, turning his trunk so as to get the extremity 

 well into his throat, he discharges its contents fairly into his stomach, where it may be 

 heard to splash by any one who is in near proximity to the animal. 



The strangest portion of the Elephant's form is the trunk, or proboscis. This 

 wonderful appendage is in fact a development of the upper lips and the nose, and is 

 perforated through its entire length by the nostrils, and is furnished at its extremity 

 with a kind of finger-like appendage, which enables the animal to pluck a single blade 

 of grass, or to pick a minute object from the ground. The value of the proboscis to 

 the Elephent in incredible ; without its aid the creature would soon starve. The short, 

 thick neck would prevent it from stooping to graze, while the projecting tusks would 

 effectually hinder it from reaching any vegetables which might grow at the level of its 

 mouth. And as it would be unable to draw water into its mouth without the use of 

 the trunk, thirst would in a very short time end its existence. 



As the trunk is required for so many purposes, it must needs be capable of extension, 

 contraction, and of flexibility in every direction, as well as possessed of enormous 

 strength. In order to effect these conditions, the trunk is composed of no less than 

 fifty thousand distinct muscles, some of which run longitudinally along the axis of the 

 proboscis, and others radiate from the centre to the circumference. When the trunk 

 is at rest, its surface is covered with a series of thick, transverse wrinkles or corruga- 

 tions, which become less distinct as this appendage is gradually stretched, and vanish 

 entirely when it is extended to its full length. The little finger-like appendage at its 

 tip is slightly different in shape in the two sexes. 



In order to support the enormous weight of the teeth, tusks, and proboscis, the head 

 is required to be of very large dimensions, so as to afford support for the powerful 

 muscles and tendons which are requisite for such a task. It is also needful that light- 

 ness should be combined with magnitude, and this double condition is very beauti- 

 fully fulfilled. The skull of the Elephant, instead of being a mere bony shell round 

 the brain, is enormously enlarged by the separation of its bony plates, the intervening 



